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Leaders in Legal Business
of achievements have much more self-respect and better internal communications. They also have objective
improvements to report, like increased profitability.
Leadership and Management Training
“I'll come to your weekend course if you can teach me to golf like Tiger Woods.” Leadership and
management are about taking a group of people for whom you are responsible and making them better than they
would have been without you. Yes, managing ferociously independent, critical, and analytical lawyers is worse
than herding cats. (Patrick McKenna and I wrote the book “Herding Cats” a long time ago, and I'd be happy to
send you a complimentary copy.) Notwithstanding the challenges, leaders who spend some time getting involved
with those whom they lead can have a very positive impact on the outcome. In fact, I am aware of a global study
that indicates that success is more dependent on the group leader then any other factor.
Training a leader over a weekend is inadequate; the process has to be ongoing for a period of time of a
year to 18 months, and has to involve individual feedback based on ongoing performance as a leader.
Performance Enhancement
The managing partners’ lament, “You don't tell them anything different from what I've been telling them
for years, but for some reason they listen to you.” (This is where it really helps that I was a managing partner and
can completely empathize.)
Performance enhancement fails in most firms because of the “knowing versus doing gap.” As lawyers,
we are so cerebral that we think we can solve any problem with the powers of our minds. A delicious discussion
is better than a medieval feast.
In order to dramatically enhance the performance of an individual, the individual needs to want to
improve. I ask for firm leaders who are offering performance enhancement training to require an email application.
It is a short email, and the elements are simple. “Tell me why you want assistance, what you hope to achieve from
it, and what the firm will achieve from it. Please touch on your objectives as you answer these questions.”
Firm leaders make the frequent error of saying, “Sally or George really needs this kind of help… I am
going to strongly encourage them.” Sally or George will succumb to the pressure and then sabotage the process
so subtly that they don't even know they are doing so themselves. Those who show some internal motivation tend
to perform magnificently. I can tell you anecdotally that not all, but many of the people who are helped in this
way increase their performance to a degree that pleasantly surprises their firms. They also love the process, which
is the polar opposite of sabotaging it.
The elements involved in helping an individual enhance performance include: 1) reducing quantifiable
objectives to writing; 2) exploring whether they need to enhance their substantive expertise; 3) determining by
whom they wish to be better known and then enhance their reputation to those constituencies; 4) broadening
relationships with clients, especially business ones, with whom they have only one connection; and 5) helping
them present more effectively in all contexts including speaking, writing, responding to RFPs, using social media
and more effectively networking at social functions.
Mergers and Competitive Intelligence
“Should we remain local or regional, or should we merge internationally?” It kind of depends. Many firms
need help in assessing their position in their respective marketplaces. Most do not have the tools of competitive
intelligence or an understanding of the various contexts in which they are practicing and the options that may be
available to them. Some of our most satisfying work is finding information relevant to competition, but also
addressing appropriate candidates for lateral hire or merger. This is far too complex a subject to go into in any
depth here. Suffice to say that some of my proudest moments are those where I have helped prevent a merger that
would have been a disaster or prevented a lateral hire that was a poor choice.
Back to the Future
143
of achievements have much more self-respect and better internal communications. They also have objective
improvements to report, like increased profitability.
Leadership and Management Training
“I'll come to your weekend course if you can teach me to golf like Tiger Woods.” Leadership and
management are about taking a group of people for whom you are responsible and making them better than they
would have been without you. Yes, managing ferociously independent, critical, and analytical lawyers is worse
than herding cats. (Patrick McKenna and I wrote the book “Herding Cats” a long time ago, and I'd be happy to
send you a complimentary copy.) Notwithstanding the challenges, leaders who spend some time getting involved
with those whom they lead can have a very positive impact on the outcome. In fact, I am aware of a global study
that indicates that success is more dependent on the group leader then any other factor.
Training a leader over a weekend is inadequate; the process has to be ongoing for a period of time of a
year to 18 months, and has to involve individual feedback based on ongoing performance as a leader.
Performance Enhancement
The managing partners’ lament, “You don't tell them anything different from what I've been telling them
for years, but for some reason they listen to you.” (This is where it really helps that I was a managing partner and
can completely empathize.)
Performance enhancement fails in most firms because of the “knowing versus doing gap.” As lawyers,
we are so cerebral that we think we can solve any problem with the powers of our minds. A delicious discussion
is better than a medieval feast.
In order to dramatically enhance the performance of an individual, the individual needs to want to
improve. I ask for firm leaders who are offering performance enhancement training to require an email application.
It is a short email, and the elements are simple. “Tell me why you want assistance, what you hope to achieve from
it, and what the firm will achieve from it. Please touch on your objectives as you answer these questions.”
Firm leaders make the frequent error of saying, “Sally or George really needs this kind of help… I am
going to strongly encourage them.” Sally or George will succumb to the pressure and then sabotage the process
so subtly that they don't even know they are doing so themselves. Those who show some internal motivation tend
to perform magnificently. I can tell you anecdotally that not all, but many of the people who are helped in this
way increase their performance to a degree that pleasantly surprises their firms. They also love the process, which
is the polar opposite of sabotaging it.
The elements involved in helping an individual enhance performance include: 1) reducing quantifiable
objectives to writing; 2) exploring whether they need to enhance their substantive expertise; 3) determining by
whom they wish to be better known and then enhance their reputation to those constituencies; 4) broadening
relationships with clients, especially business ones, with whom they have only one connection; and 5) helping
them present more effectively in all contexts including speaking, writing, responding to RFPs, using social media
and more effectively networking at social functions.
Mergers and Competitive Intelligence
“Should we remain local or regional, or should we merge internationally?” It kind of depends. Many firms
need help in assessing their position in their respective marketplaces. Most do not have the tools of competitive
intelligence or an understanding of the various contexts in which they are practicing and the options that may be
available to them. Some of our most satisfying work is finding information relevant to competition, but also
addressing appropriate candidates for lateral hire or merger. This is far too complex a subject to go into in any
depth here. Suffice to say that some of my proudest moments are those where I have helped prevent a merger that
would have been a disaster or prevented a lateral hire that was a poor choice.
Back to the Future
143
